Friday, December 18, 2009

Huge Mistake...

Months ago I got a call that could have changed my life. At the time I was reeling from Calvin's death and unable to focus on anything else. So, when the man on the other end of the phone asked if I had recognized a name, I said no. I hung up the phone and didn't think about it again. Recently, I became aware that the phone call had a huge relevance in my life and that I do indeed remember the man I was being asked about. He was an old man I had befriended years ago while working at the bingo hall. He was alone, visiting my home town and he was dying. We spent alot of time talking, sharing life stories and talking about God. His name was the same as my father's and grandfather's and we laughed that it was fate that we meet. To be honest, I thought he was destitute and I often snuck him coffee when I'd take my breaks at work. I remember him being an extremely sorrowful man, who had many regrets in life. He looked to me for friendship and we fell into an easy friendship, able to talk about anything. I remember talking to him about my life, my father and our relationship. We talked about marriage, children and our beliefs. We shared sorrows. He was just a dear old soul, on a mission to tie up the loose ends in his life. The day he left to go home, he came to see me at work. He told me he would never forget my kindness and said he wanted to do something nice for me. He asked me to write my full legal name on a piece of paper which I did. He then folded it very carefully and tucked it into his wallet, saying that I would hear from him again. As he left, there were tears in his eyes as he held my hand and I was so overcome with sadness for this man that I came around and asked him if I could hug him. He told me once again that he would never forget me as he left.

As the days and weeks became months, and I heard nothing more of the man, I got caught up in life and my own dramas and day to day doings. He started to fade from my memory. Then Calvin died and his death was all I could focus on. The drugs I was taking to numb the pain affected my thought processes and my memory. When I got the call regarding the man, I brushed it off. The person on the other end told me that I had been left property in a will. The person on the phone knew my full legal name. Still, I was convinced it wasn't meant for me and told him so. All these months later, it has come back. And not just wisps of memory...all of it. I remember the man's eyes, his name, what he looked like. I remember our talks, helping him to find a hotel and places to eat. I remember thinking how sad it was that he had no family to help him while he was dying. I remember the odd feeling as we said good-bye that he was going to be leaving me something in his will. I don't know how I knew, I just did. My stomach has been in knots since realizing that I have possibly thrown away my inheritance. I have been anxious and upset wondering how "J" would feel, knowing that I did not remember him when I was called by his estate lawyer. I feel an immense amount of regret not writing the number of the lawyer down. These past couple of weeks have been spent backtracking, trying to hunt down the location of the will, making calls to the city where the property had been left to me, talking to it's lawyers, notaries, city officials and real estate agents. I'm getting nowhere. My next step will be a legal will search but don't expect to get results. One lawyer I consulted advised that ninety percent of clients don't register their wills. In the meantime, I will be calling every lawyer in my province one by one and there are thousands of them. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Not only do I feel the need to honour my friend J. by hunting down the will, accepting what has been left for me and finding out more about his life, but at this point in our lives, this could be something life changing for us, a chance to restart somewhere else. I'm saddened my friend has died. I'm saddened that I was so preoccupied in my own grief over losing Calvin that I didn't even recognize his name. I'm worried that someone else will have stepped forward and claimed what J left for me "because he would never forget my kindness....", because I had pushed thoughts of him out of my mind. An old man with no family who thought enough of me to do something for me. I've made a huge mistake....

11 comments:

  1. Wow. That is really neat. Hoping everything turns out well. Keep us updated.

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  2. I am sure J would understand the emotional state you were in. I do not know how things work where you are, but do you think there is any way to trace the phone records from when he called?? I don't know...just an idea. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. xx

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  3. wow. good luck. i hope you find the lawyer!

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  4. Surely, if you were meant to have it, it will come back around somehow, or you will find the lawyer who called or something.
    Your kindness didn't go unnoticed and that is a rare and beautiful thing.
    Good luck Margaret..

    xo

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  5. Margaret, your story gave me warm fuzzies. But I feel horrible that you now have to work so hard to find any kind of closure with the situation. You must have made quite an impression on that man. I hope you are able to find the attorney soon! I agree with Bree...please keep us updated!

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  6. Margaret, I really hope you find the place that called you. This story is so precious.

    XX

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  7. Hope you find this man's lawyer, Margaret. If I can help you search at all let me know. Do you know where he lived last? It sounds like you were very special to this man and I so hope you find out what he wanted for you in his will. xo

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  8. I am in tears & have goosebumps. I too wish you luck on your search. You have probably touched that man's life in ways you still do not even realize.

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  9. Oh sweetie! J would not want you to feel one bit guilty about not remembering his name, he would be so saddened and want to hug you for your loss. Especially since you have not forgotten his memory at all, you even remember his eyes, you just displaced it for a while dealing with your own loss - he would get that. My mom found a long lost passed on relative that she was looking for for years, based on the signature on a death certificate that led her to the next person and the next person. I'm going to call and ask her how she did it - I know she had very little to go on. Can you send me your email to jennyherman(at)comcast(dot)net?

    I hope that you find him and that whatever he has left you will bring you gladness. In the meantime, know that you are honoring your friend simply by sharing him with us and remembering him as you do. In a life of regret, you are one person who treated him kindly, and who didn't judge him for his past mistakes. He died having that from you.

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  10. good luck on your search. I's sure that J would have understood at that time why, and trying to honor his memory by trying to find him now would warm his heart.

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  11. I hope that you can find the lawyer. I'm sure that you brought J a lot of comfort and friendship and he was thankful.

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